# Schwarzenegger as president. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 9, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351 "2004-05-09T22:19:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/1 "2004-05-09T22:19:18Z")
I know this has been asked, but I’ve searched _Schwarzenegger_ and keep getting the “no matches” window. I tried GQ and IMHO. I’d like to see a discussion on what it would (will) take for him to run (for president ;)). Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/2 "2004-05-09T22:21:18Z")
They’de have to change the Constitution to allow people who were not born in the US to be president. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/3 "2004-05-09T22:59:34Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > They’de have to change the Constitution to allow people who were not born in the US to be president. I _know_ that much, mon ami. I’m wondering how long it will take to ammend if everything goes as fast as possible. And are foreign-born barred from being speaker of the house, etc? I’m just a little nervous, is all. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/4 "2004-05-09T22:59:58Z")
That’s true **Revtim** but an amendment doing just that was voted on in 2000. Another is being pushed in congress even now. And Uncle Arnold is at the top of the pile, he is apparently considering the posibility. Just think about it…President Terminator. 😉 Hey, we got jr. shrub whether we wanted him or not. Wouldn’t this be the icing on the cake? We already know an actor can be gov. of Californy AND become Pres. right? [[http://slate.msn.com/id/2096192/](http://slate.msn.com/id/2096192/)]((just one of many cites)) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/5 "2004-05-09T23:03:01Z")
[http://slate.msn.com/id/2096192/](http://slate.msn.com/id/2096192/) try that one instead :smack: ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/6 "2004-05-09T23:27:19Z")
Clinton vs Schwarzenegger. Think about it. Unless he _really_ screws up, he’ll come out smelling like a rose in CA. And he’s the kind of ferriner that we like. He can, and does, charm the socks (ahem) off most women that I know. Lookit whats-her-name that ran against him for gov. She was blushing and giggling like a teenager. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/7 "2004-05-09T23:51:22Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > And are foreign-born barred from being speaker of the house, etc? Only the presidency and vice-presidency are reserved for native-born Americans. Many naturalized Americans have become members and leaders of Congress, and there was at least one previous thread on these boards that gave several examples. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/8 "2004-05-09T23:51:29Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > I _know_ that much, mon ami. I’m wondering how long it will take to ammend if everything goes as fast as possible. > And are foreign-born barred from being speaker of the house, etc? > I’m just a little nervous, is all. There’s no natural-born requirement to be Speaker of the House, or any other position in the House. (The Speaker is just the (usually) seniormost guy in the majority party.) However, if the Speaker were not a natural-born citizen, then he would not be in the line of succession. Instead, succession would bypass him and go to the Pres Pro Tem of the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/9 "2004-05-09T23:53:07Z")
I hate to admit it but if it was a choice between either the Terminator or Junior. It’d be hasta lavista bushy. Maybe the Bushes are grooming Arnold for the Whitehouse after GW leaves. I assume he’s going to be there 4 more years. Then they’ll have the admendment passed and then Arnold can run the country for a while. (Hitler is probably smiling from below at all of this.) I know I probably shouldn’t have brought that up but it’s kinda slow in here. I know that GW isn’t the nazi in the family. Nor is Arnold for that matter. 😉 Better yet…Cheney plays the fall guy and GW chooses Arnold as his VP. Yeah that’s the ticket. What’s the score on VP’s and their citizenship? The same as Prez. I’d guess. Sorry I just remembered this is GQ. Perhaps IMHO might be a better forum. See ya. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/10 "2004-05-10T00:26:11Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > Only the presidency and vice-presidency are reserved for native-born Americans. Many naturalized Americans have become members and leaders of Congress, and there was at least one previous thread on these boards that gave several examples. The Speaker is right after the VP in succession, isn’t he/she? Are you sure, **friedo** , about that bypass thing? I can’t find that other thread. I tried. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/11 "2004-05-10T00:34:42Z")
**mangeorge** , read the Constitution. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/12 "2004-05-10T00:41:33Z")
[http://205.180.85.40/w/pc.cgi?mid=29875&sid=11323](http://205.180.85.40/w/pc.cgi?mid=29875&sid=11323) The Vice President Richard Cheney Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert President pro tempore of the Senate1 Ted Stevens Secretary of State Colin Powell Secretary of the Treasury John Snow Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld Attorney General John Ashcroft Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson Secretary of Transportation Norman Yoshio Mineta Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham Secretary of Education Roderick Paige Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi Secretary of Homeland Security2 Tom Ridge NOTE: An official cannot succeed to the Presidency unless that person meets the Constitutional requirements. They would be passed over to the next qualified person. Sorry 'bout any innappropriate comments earlier. Maybe this is more like what you wanted. The article was dated yesterday. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/13 "2004-05-10T00:47:06Z")
> **[Order of Presidential Succession](https://www.infoplease.com/us/government/executive-branch/order-of-presidential-succession)** > > Order of Presidential succession from the Vice President to Secretary of Homeland Security. Damned popups, that’s twice now my links got screwed. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/14 "2004-05-10T00:52:11Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > **mangeorge** , read the Constitution. Oh, sure. Something that’s been debated (the meaning of it) for two hundred years and you want me to “read” it. Again. 😃 Take the 2nd. Please. Beautiful peice of work, though. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/15 "2004-05-10T01:05:15Z")
“Take the 2nd” meaning take the 2nd ammendment as an example of that which has been much debated. Sorry. Okay, so he can’t sneak in. How long would it take, under ideal circumstances, for the ammendment to be passed and ratified and become law? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/16 "2004-05-10T01:09:53Z")
A constitutional amendment can be passed in one day if everybody really wanted to. The Congress could pass the amendment in one day if they all wanted to do so without any debate. The state legislatures could all be meeting that same day and ratify the amendment that same day if they really wanted to so so without any debate. Do I need to point out that that scenario is incredibly unlikely? The question is really unanswerable. It takes as long as it takes. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/17 "2004-05-10T01:37:06Z")
What **WW** said is hypothetically a possibility. The amendment has to get a 3/4 approval in both the House and Congrees. Plus, and more importantly is has to pass in every state’s legislative branches as well by a 3/4 majority. The executive or judicial branches have no say in this. Other than to express their opinions or preferences. That is the **formal** amending of the constitution. This is the one that’ll scare ya. An informal change can be done by the Supreme Court if it thinks that the Constitution is unjust, as in the 14th amendment. If the Supreme Court decides that the Constitution is discriminatory against naturalized citizens it could force an amendment by translation discrepancies or **out of date ideals that are no longer current in society.** They need no approval to do so. It can be done in a day. Smoke on that awhile. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/18 "2004-05-10T01:52:54Z")
> [@t-keela](#): > > If the Supreme Court decides that the Constitution is discriminatory against naturalized citizens it could force an amendment by translation discrepancies or **out of date ideals that are no longer current in society.** Ah, no. The Supreme Court can only determine if a law is unconstitutional. SCOTUS cannot overturn an amendment or any other part of the Constitution. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/19 "2004-05-10T02:13:03Z")
[the constitution](http://www.usconstitution.net/constam.html) > [@](#): > > Another way the Constitution’s meaning is changed is often referred to as “informal amendment.” This phrase is a misnomer, because there is no way to informally amend the Constitution, only the formal way. However, the meaning of the Constitution, or the interpretation, can change over time Actually several of the amendments to the US Constitution have been forced by the Supreme Court. No THEY didn’t write the amendment. They did rule that laws were unconstitutional which changed them informally. Thus forcing congress to make amends. If the court decided that the old discrimination against naturalized citizens, or women, or blacks, indians etc. was unconstitutional they could make a ruling to that effect and that’d be it. Arnold could run for the POTUS and Congress would then have to make the necessary changes. That’s the way it goes. The above cite is just a quick search. I’m sitting here looking at my copy of Constitution and a couple of texts from college. No BS here. \*and it’s a 2/3 maj. in the legis, branches w/ a 3/4 of the states…sorry that was from memory. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351/20 "2004-05-10T02:19:57Z")
If you recall your history, during the Civil War, Lincoln tried to establish martial law. A Northern Confederate sympathizer was arrested and held under martial law. The Supreme Court said this unconstitutional. The 14th amendment was ratified as a result after the war. (Martial Law applies ONLY to where actual combat is taking place. Milligan lived in a state where no fighting occurred) There are several more examples. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schwarzenegger-as-president/244351.md?page=2)